Aeroplane.



A. T. OLEARY.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILEDAPR. I9. l9l6.

1 346,3 1 1 n Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

fiSHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR WITNESSES T x 5 BY ATTORNEY A. T. OLEARY.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19. 1916.

Patented Nov; 13, 191?,

5 SHEETSSHEET 2- INVENTOR S E S S E N W W ATTORNEY A. T. OLEARY.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION. FILED APR.19,1916- Patented Nov. 13, 191?.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

V INVENTOR flfieary Arfhur WITNESSES ATTORNEY A. T. OLEARY.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.19, i916. Lififi 1 1L Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

INVENTOR f V Z? OZeary WITNESSES Wm M q m ATTORNEY A. I'. OLEARY.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.19. 191s.

Patented Nov.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 INVENTOR Arthur Leflfl WlTNESSES ATTOR N EY UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR 'rmorny OLEARYI, or BUTTE, MONTANA.

AEROPLAN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 191 '2'.

Application filed April 19, 1916. Serial No. 92,243.

construction, is particularly adapted for.

stable dynamic flight through the air.

Another object resides in providing a propeller moving in a horizontalplane for assisting during flight, in elevating the machine.

A further object resides in providing an aeroplane in which the driverscompartment is located at the forward part of the machine, and contraryto theusual practice, the driving propeller is located rearwardly of thedrivers compartment.

A further object consists in providing a novel means for controlling thestability and direction of flight when the aeroplane is in the air.

With the above and other objects in view, I will now proceed to describea specific embodiment of the present invention which I have shownby wayof illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the aero plane.

Fig. 2 is a forward elevation.

Fig. 3 is 'a side elevation.

Fig. at is a top plan view of the drivers compartment, the upper planesbeing removed.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the elevating propeller casing.

F ig. 7 is an elevation of one of the controlling members.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of one portion of one of the controllingmembers.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a controlling member, and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on 10-10 of Fig. 9.

The aeroplane comprises a frame work consisting of the spacedhorizontally extending frame members 1 and the vertically extendingframe members or reinforcing elements 2 which are suitablyinterconnected the line so as to form an aeroplane frame. Supported onthe frame are the upper and lower laterally extending planes 3 and 4,respectively. At the forward end of the machine is pivoted an elevatingrudder 5 which extends in a lateral direction. At the rear of themachine is a similar elevating plane 6 and adjacent to the said rudderis a vertical plane 7 which may be swung either to the right or left inorder to control the lateral direction of flight. Intermediate the twoplanes 3 and 4 and positioned at each end of the lateral sides of theaeroplane frame are two supplementary planes 8 and 9 which impartlateral stability to the machine during flight. In order to compensatefor overbalancing on either side of the aeroplane due to the shifting ofthe weight carried thereby, or due to varying densities of the aircurrents encountered during flight, the two suplementary planes'S and 9are each provided with the movable portions 10 and 11 which rotate abouta horizontal axis disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis ofthe machine. and hence as the positions of the two portions 10 and 11are varied, the resistance offered by the particular plane 8 or 9, asthe case may be, is diminished or increased and thus by the propermanipulation of these two portions, the lateral stability of theaeroplane during flight may be readily controlled. It hasbeen foundpreferable in practice to shape the rudder or elevating plane 6 similarto the tail of a bird, and to also shape the rudder 7 in somewhat thesame manner. Beneath the tail of the machine and protecting the rudder 7during the operation of alighting from a flight is a skeg 12 and this,of course, is positioned at the rear of the machine. At the forward endof the machine is supported or caried a frame work consisting of theresilient carriage A provided with wheels 13 and having a forwardlyextending steering wheel 14 which is suitably controlled as will behereinafter explained.

Atthe forward end of the machine is located a somewhat boat-like driverscompartment 15 which contains the drivers seat 16 and the power plant 17which may be an internal combustion engine of any suitable description.The driving shaft 18 of the 'power plant 17 is extended to the rear ofthe drivers compartment and is supported in a suitable bearing.Journaled in a bearing 19 in the rear end of the drivers compartment is,the propeller shaft which is also supported in a supplementary bearing21 reinforced by braces 22. This shaft 20 carries the. propeller 23 andalso carries two sprockets 241 and 25 which are connected through themedium of chains 26 with similar sprockets 27 and 28, respectively, onthe shaft 18. The shaft 18 extends through the base 29 of the driversseat 16 and is supported therein. Beneath the drivers seat and securedto the shaft 18 is a gear 30. Also, in the base 29 is journaled areciprocable and rotatable stub staft 31 which has connected thereto at32, a foot lever or pedal 33 fulcrumed at 35. A spring 34 connects withthe end of the shaft 31 and normally tends to disengage gear 36 carriedby the shaft 31 from the gear 30. Also carried on the shaft 31 is abeveled gear 37 which meshes with a similar beveled gear 38 carried on avertical shaft 39 journaled in a dome-shaped casing 40 which has adepending flange 41 provided with air openings 42. The shaft 39 issupported in the cross member 43 carried by the casing 40. The shaft 39carries a propeller 44 which rotates in a horizontal plane and isprovided for the purpose of assisting in the elevation of the machinewhen starting or during flight. It will be seen that the driving of thepropeller 44 is optional with the driver of the machine by reason of-thefact that the clutch member may be operated to'disengage the gear 37from the gear 38 and likewise simultaneously disengage the gear 36- fromthe gear '30 thus severing all connection between the power mechanism ofthe vehicle and said propeller 44.

In order to control the machine when moving along the ground when it haseither just alighted or is aboutto take flight, a foot brace 45 isprovided which isivoted at 46 and has connected with each en there ofcables 47 and 48, respectively, which are in turn connected with theaxle 49 of the steering wheel 14 and thus the steering wheel 14 maylikewise be turned in order to guide the machine during its movementfrom the ground.-

To control the lateral direction of flight and also the transversestability of the machine, the driver has located on his right and leftwhen he is sitting in the seat 16, the controlling members B and C,respectively, each of which comprises a support or bracket 50 which haspivoted thereto an axle 51 extending in ahorizontal direction and formina mount for a disk-like member 52. The disk-like member 52 of thecontrolling member B has secured thereto at its upper and lower halvesin diametrically opposite positions, the cables 53 and 54 which areconnected so as to move the portions'lO and 11 in either direction.Superposed on the members 52 and movable in a plane parallel with thedisk like member 52 is an additional rotatable element 55 which, in thecase of the controlling member B has secured thereto cables 56 and 57which lead to -the rudder 7 to move it to the right or to the left inorder to control the lateral direction of flight. The controlling memberC has its member 52 connected with cables 58 and 59 connected with theforward elevating plane 5 and its member 55 connected with cables 60 and61 which are in turn connected with the plane 6 for elevating themachine while in flight or when starting. Each of the controllingmembers B and (lie provided with a conveniently located handle 62 sothat these handles may be grasped to move the controlling members asdesired.

From the foregoing description it will be readily understood that, whenthe machine is first started it runs along the ground and as theaeroplane obtains the desired velocity, the. aviator throws into gearthe pro eller 44 which immediately produces a su cient force to. causethe aeroplane to rise off the ground and take flight. When once inflight, the propeller 44 .is preferably thrown out of gear and ismaintained in a position of quietude until such time as it is furtherdesired to increase the altitude to which the machine has arisen andthen the propeller 44 is again thrown in the driven connection andassists the elevating planes 5 and 6 to increase the altitude of themachine with the greatest velocity.

While, in the foregoing I have described and illustrated a specificembodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understoodthat, in ractice, I may resort to such practical modi cations of thedevice as fall within the scope of the same as defined in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In combination, an aeroplane, a casing mounted beneath said aeroplaneand having a depending flange provided with air outlets, a propellerrotatable in a horizontal plane within such casing to elevate theaeroplane, a propeller rotatable in a vertical plane to move theaeroplane in a forward direction, and means for driving both of saidpropellers.

2. In an aeroplane, a body frame, a vertically disposed propeller shaftbeneath said tioally disposed propeller shaft beneath said body, apropeller atthe lower end of said shaft, a beveled gear on the upper endof said shaft, a longitudinally movable horizontally disposed stub shaftadjacent the upper end of said propeller shaft, a beveled gear on saidstub shaft adapted to mesh with the gear on said propeller shaft, a footlever for moving said stub shaft in one direction, a contractile springnormally holding said stub shaft with its beveled gear out of engagementwith the corresponding gear on the propeller shaft, a main power shaft,a gear on said maln shaft, and a gear on said stub shaft adapted to meshwith said main 15 ARTHUR TIMOTHY OLEARY.

Witnesses: A

JEREMIAH T. Lyn 01 1, M. J. ENGLISH.

